A 4 suspension lift may require a new pitman arm for steering or additional work to keep it working properly. A 3 suspension lift and a 1 BL won’t be as likely to need that. Your driveline, as pointed about above, may also dictate the need of additional mods with the slip yoke eliminator setup on the back of the transfer case and a new driveshaft to compensate for the driveline angles. That also necessitates the need for adjustable control arms (upper) in back.

The body lift also gives you space later on for adding a flatter transmission skid (a belly up or tummy tuck). Combine that with a motor lift, and you have more space between your oil pan and a skid plate to protect it.

Consider the systems as a whole. Changing one thing usually means you have to change out a few more so everything works well together.

Good initial investments are underside armor like rock rails to protect under the door, engine skids to protect the oil pan and engine, and a steering box skid to protect the steering box right in front. Those should adapt to any lift you want to install later AND protect you for offroading now.

When considering a lift, consider a reputable brand and buy a good one the first time. Rusty’s, Rough Country, Rubicon Express, and Old Man Emu (OME) are considered good lifts. OME and RE can be a bit pricier, but their ride quality is excellent. I have the OME setup.

Secondly, consider where you live, where you want to offroad, and the soil type. Here in Alabama, All Terrain tires are useless in the mud. It simply won’t clear out. Mud Terrains are required here, but in California, where I lived previously, All Terrains did just fine in the softer, drier sand and decomposed granite soils.

With 33’s you MAY need to regear, depending on your transmission. It isn’t required, but if you don’t, you WILL feel a ‘loss of power’ compared to how you’re configured now. I have a 2.5L engine and I HAD to regear to be able to drive on the highway. But for the most part, with 4.0’s it is a personal choice of yours as to whether you feel the 33’s make it too slow on the road. Also consider that when you get larger tires, buy 5 not 4. If you get a flat, you really don’t want a 30 tire and a 33 tire on the same axle at the same time, locked or not.

Other things to consider:

- aftermarket bumpers with tire carriers.

- lockers for the differential to provide increased traction.

- safari/duster combinations for alternative tops in the summer.

- winch for the front end

Invest in a factory service manual for your year of Jeep. It has GREAT information for fixing and maintaining your TJ. If you can’t afford one right now, get at LEAST a Haynes manual. They’re a bit more basic, but for the common fixes/troubleshooting, they’re not bad (and usually under $20.00).